Simon's Town and the Boulders penguins by train
Trains from Cape Town to Simon's Town take about 1 h 29 min.
Issue 4 · · Monday to Saturday (fewer trains on Saturdays)
Your trains
Cape Town and Simon's Town · about 1 h 29 min
- Mon to Fri
- There: 05:45 to 18:15 · 13 trains Last back: 18:55
- Saturday
- There: 14:10 to 15:15 · 2 trains Last back: 16:50
- Public holidays
- There: 05:30 to 16:00 · 7 trains Last back: 16:05
- Sunday
- No trains: PRASA publishes no Sunday timetable
Fish Hoek and Simon's Town · about 25 min
- Mon to Fri
- There: 06:48 to 19:18 · 13 trains Last back: 18:55
- Saturday
- There: 05:55 to 16:18 · 10 trains Last back: 16:50
- Public holidays
- There: 06:33 to 17:03 · 7 trains Last back: 16:05
- Sunday
- No trains: PRASA publishes no Sunday timetable
PRASA's published timetable, updated by PRASA 12 October 2026. Scheduled times, not live: service alerts.
The stops
Simon's Town station
-
Jubilee Square, Simon's Town
17 min · 1.3 km · south-east
The square on St George's Street, on the way to Boulders.
-
Boulders penguin colony (SANParks)
45 min · 3.4 km · south-east
African penguins on the beaches of Table Mountain National Park. A long walk from the station: plan for it, or take a taxi from Simon's Town.
Open October and November 08:00 to 18:30; December and January 07:00 to 19:30; February and March 08:00 to 18:30; April to September 08:00 to 17:00. SANParks: times may change without notice.
Price South African citizens and residents: adults R55, children (2 to 11) R26. International visitors: adults R245, children R120. Card only, no cash. These fees run to 31 October 2026: check SANParks for the fees from 1 November.
SANParks: Table Mountain National Park entry fees and gate times, checked 25 October 2026
Walks: OpenStreetMap's walking routes from the station, checked 25 October 2026.
Take this trip with you
The free app shows the next trains for this trip from PRASA's timetable, even without data.
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Simon’s Town is the last station on the Southern Line. From the platform it is a short walk into town and a long one to the penguins at Boulders, so wear good shoes or plan a taxi for the last part.
The trains
- On weekdays, trains run straight through from Cape Town to Simon’s Town.
- On Saturdays only a few trains run through. The others end at Fish Hoek: get off there and take the train on to Simon’s Town (both trips are in the table above).
- There are no Sunday trains: PRASA publishes no Sunday timetable.
Travel tips
The UK government’s travel advice lists PRASA’s Metrorail trains among transport with a higher risk of theft, so it is worth a little care:
- Travel in daylight and at busier times, and sit in a busy carriage. Wikivoyage suggests finishing train trips on this line by about 18:30.
- Keep your phone and valuables out of sight on the platform and on the train (UK government travel advice).
- Times on this page are PRASA’s scheduled times. Trains can be late or cancelled: check the Cape Town service alerts before you go.
Sources
- PRASA's published Southern Line timetables (the trains on this page)
- SANParks: Table Mountain National Park conservation fees, checked 25 October 2026
- SANParks: Table Mountain National Park entrance gate times, checked 25 October 2026
- OpenStreetMap: places and walking routes (OSM foot router, routing.openstreetmap.de), checked 25 October 2026
- Wikivoyage, Cape Town: getting around and staying safe, checked 25 October 2026
- UK government travel advice for South Africa: safety and security, checked 25 October 2026
PRASA ai is independent and not affiliated with PRASA or Metrorail, or with the places in this guide. Opening times and prices can change: check with the place before you go.